The sun was setting, painting the sky in hues of pink and gold as Lily sat on the old wooden pier, her legs dangling just above the water. A gentle breeze made the lake ripple, catching the last light of the day like tiny dancing stars.
She turned the worn, leather-bound notebook over in her hands. Their notebook.
It had started as a joke, a silly idea she and Ryan had come up with when they were seventeen—The Forever List. A list of all the things they swore they would do together, no matter where life took them.
“Swim in the ocean at midnight.”
“Get lost in a foreign city.”
“Watch a meteor shower.”
“Dance in the rain.”
Some of the items had checkmarks next to them. Others remained untouched, waiting.
But the last one—the very last line on the list—was the one that made her heart ache.
“Tell each other the truth when it matters the most.”
She ran her fingers over the words, blinking back the tears stinging her eyes.
Because the truth was, Ryan had always been more than her best friend. He had been her always. And now, sitting here alone on the pier, she wondered if she had missed her chance to tell him.
The sound of footsteps on the wooden planks made her turn.
Ryan stood there, hands tucked into his jacket pockets, the same warm, easy smile on his lips. But his eyes… his eyes held something different tonight. Something unspoken.
“I thought I might find you here,” he said, stepping closer.
Lily swallowed hard, forcing a smile. “Old habits.”
His gaze flickered to the notebook in her lap. “You still keep it?”
She nodded. “Some promises are worth holding onto.”
A breeze swept across the lake, carrying the scent of pine and summer rain.
Ryan sat down beside her, close enough that she could feel his warmth. “Do you remember what we said?” he asked, his voice quiet. “When we wrote that list?”
Lily nodded, her fingers tightening around the book. “That we wouldn’t just make promises—we’d keep them.”
Ryan exhaled slowly. “Then we have one left.”
She knew what he meant.
“Tell each other the truth when it matters the most.”
Her heart pounded as she turned to him, finally letting herself see him—not just as the boy who had been by her side for years, but as the boy she had loved all along.
“Ryan…” she started, her voice barely a whisper.
He reached out, gently tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I know,” he murmured. “I’ve always known.”
Tears welled in her eyes. “Then why didn’t you ever say anything?”
Ryan smiled, soft and full of something that looked an awful lot like forever. “Because I was waiting for you to be ready to hear it.”
A shaky breath left her lips. She had spent years afraid of ruining what they had—years convincing herself that maybe he didn’t feel the same. But looking at him now, she realized…
She had been wrong.
Lily set the notebook aside and reached for his hand.
“Then let’s check it off together.”
Ryan’s fingers laced through hers, and when he kissed her—soft and slow, like a promise—it felt like every unchecked box, every unwritten chapter, every wish whispered under the stars had finally found its place.
And just like that, The Forever List was complete.
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